


Dust to Dust

by forthosewhohavefallenexceptionally (orphan_account)



Category: No. 6 - All Media Types, No. 6 - Asano Atsuko
Genre: Death, Fallen Angels, M/M, Multi, Parenthood, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-19 16:38:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9450572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/forthosewhohavefallenexceptionally
Summary: Nezumi held him close. “Shush, Haldus.”“Dada!” He cried out again, struggling in his father’s grasp.Nezumi held him closer, lifting his chin up and away from the body. “Your father was an Icarus, and he flew too close to the sun. Morbid curiosity, and a warm heart caused his downfall. I will protect you Haldus, until my dying breath. And you will be the Daedalus who flew too far and too fast.”





	

His wings unfurled and he took off into a burst of air. A light and hearty chuckle sounded behind him, like bells.  
Salathiel glanced back, hazy amber eyes alight. “C’mon Cadriel! You’re gonna miss the birthing ceremony!” Cadriel glanced down at his wardrobe, tunic draped over his body with a sense of justice.  
“I have duties to attend to, Salathiel. But find our child and get me a hatch day pass. I’ll come as soon as my duties are completed.” Salathiel pouted gently.  
“Don’t you want to see Haldus arrive?”  
“Of course. But, I have to open the heavens for him to arrive, don’t I?” Salathiel nodded generously, his brunette hair pulled back into a messy bun.  
“Open the heavens wide, my moon!” He called, shooting off.  
“Only the widest for you, my star.”  
******  
When the heavens opened, and the stars poured in, Cadriel was the first to see. The sterling silver lights flooded in like raindrops, each carrying a child the elders would love and raise until their souls were sent back to the celestial breeding grounds.  
Once Salathiel saw the lights, he instantly knew which streak was theirs. He glowed golden amongst the heavens, so much more brilliant than any other fledgling.  
He was waiting impatiently, turbulence not yet ready for the thousands of angel ‘mothers’ to shoot up and grasp their children. Yet, he was no mother, and neither was Cadriel. They would raise this child powerfully, and with as much love and compassion as their parents before them had. Before Cadriel’s parents had fallen of course.  
“Ready yourselves!” Cadriel called, and Salathiel felt himself smiling at his husband’s voice. “Aright! Go!” He commanded, watching the fury of wings take them upward. It was like watching the children and mothers clash in perfect harmony.  
He knew which one Haldus was, and which flurry of wings he husband obtained. And then- It was customary for when you grasped the child you fell; a sort of punishment for prioritizing another life over your god. Salathiel would heal minutes after he hit the ground.  
He made sure every child was through before closing the heavens and rushing to find his lover. His perfect, starry eyed lover who belonged to the celestial grounds himself.  
“Cadriel!” He spun with a wicked smile on his face, taking his lover into his arms and spinning him. However… there were tears in his eyes. But they weren’t from elation. They were from heartbreak.  
“What is it my star? What’s wrong?” He frantically checked him over, making sure to be extra specific with his wings. “Are you hurt?”  
“Cadriel… Haldus’ light was different because he wasn’t an angel. He was a human. They took him away. They took him to the surface world!” Cadriel gathered him up and held him lightly.  
“He’ll return to us someday. Be patient, my love.”  
“He won’t! He was touched by an angel, he won’t make it to our heaven. We’ll never see him again!” Cadriel smoothed his lips over his husband’s face. “It’s all my fault.”  
“It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have prevented this. If anything it’s my fault. I’m the one who was half human.” Cadriel ran his fingers through Salathiel’s warm hair.  
“I want my baby back, Cadriel!” The other shushed him, pulling him away from the other angels who looked at him with nothing but pity. They would never know what it was like to lose a child. Theirs were grasped in their arms peacefully, undisturbed in their cosmic sleep.  
“Salathiel, you’re making a scene.” He warned, shooting him a glance as he guided him towards their residence. He expected this to go differently. He expected to be carrying their son home, to look at his face and know that this was something they created.  
But, he didn’t even get to give a look at him before the patrol ripped him away from his husband. “I don’t care! He was my baby, Cadriel! How could you be so heartless!”  
“Me? Heartless?” Cadriel dropped his arm and took a few steps back. “Okay, Salathiel. Maybe it’s better if you have a child with someone else. At least they would make an angel.”  
“Why are you doing this?”  
“Doing what? It was my son too! You think you are the only one who can be upset right now? I lost him too!”  
“You didn’t hold him! You didn’t connect heartbeats! You aren’t a mother!”  
“Neither are you!” Salathiel’s eyes grew wide and his lips parted in a gasp. The other mothers had grown silent at their dispute. Cadriel had heard enough, and he had put in too much effort. “Make up your mind on what’s most important to you and then come talk to me.” And like that, Cadriel was gone. On a day where they were supposed to experience the happiest thing in their lives, had to be the worst day imaginable.  
****

Salathiel crept into their bed later that night, lake water present on his skin, and a fever taking hold of his body. He wasn’t sick. Cadriel knew that much.  
“I’m sorry.” Salathiel breathed, legs positioned on either side of his waist as he leaned down. “I’m so sorry. I don’t want you to be angry with me.”  
“I’m not angry. I’m upset, there is a difference.” With the way the moonlight illuminated his hair, he looked celestial.  
“Please don’t be upset with me.”  
“I can’t help it. You hurt me.”  
“I’m so sorry. How can I make it up to you?” Cadriel leaned up, pressing his lips to his husband’s.  
“Make another child with me.” Salathiel gave him a confused look.  
“That’s not possible. Our grace can’t recharge enough to make another child for three years.” Cadriel pressed a cold finger to his heated lips.  
“That’s not the only way a child is made.”  
“Our kind can’t make children like that.”  
“It won’t hurt to let me love you in the next best way possible.” Salathiel nodded gently.  
“Please love me.” 

*****  
He pile of bones encased around the smaller figure was enough to jar tears from him. The figure rustled the dust and sneezed, erupting in cries and disturbing it even more as he failed about. “Shush, Haldus.” Nezumi pressed the pad of his thumb to his tongue, wetting it and wiping the dust out of his eyes. The child looked up at him with those same mocha eyes, they watered and more tears streamed down his plump face.  
His heart stopped for a moment, and his stomach sank as he glanced down at the pile of dust and bones before him. He was too pure to fall, so he burnt himself up in order to save their child. An act of selflessness. The baby followed his gaze downwards, reaching out with tiny hands that he’d reached for the heavens for. “Dada.”  
Nezumi held him close. “Shush, Haldus.”  
“Dada!” He cried out again, struggling in his father’s grasp.  
Nezumi held him closer, lifting his chin up and away from the body. “Your father was an Icarus, and he flew too close to the sun. Morbid curiosity, and a warm heart caused his downfall. I will protect you Haldus, until my dying breath. And you will be the Daedalus who flew too far and too fast.”


End file.
